VietNamNet Bridge – Song Lam Nghe An will be looking to lift the National Cup for the fourth time when they meet Navibank Sai Gon in the final at HCM City's Thong Nhat Stadium on Saturday.

High stakes: Song Lam Nghe An midfielder Nguyen Trong Hoang (right) fights for the ball against a Ha Noi T&T player during the 26th round of the V-League on Sunday. Hoang is set to lead his team against Navibank Sai Gon in the National Cup final on Saturday. (Photo: VNS)
The central team, who secured the V-League for the second time on Sunday, are eager to add a second major title to this season's collection.

The newly crowned V-League champions will boast their strongest squad, with Jamaican trio Fagan Andre Diego, Hodges Devon Derron and Kavin Elroy Bryan along with Ghana's Edmund Ansah gracing the line up with national team members such as Nguyen Trong Hoang, Tran Dinh Dong and Nguyen Huy Hoang.

Earlier this year, they also strengthened their squad with Brazilian-born defender Nguyen Hoang Helio, who was granted Vietnamese citizenship.

Jamaican striker Fagan, Nghe An's leading scorer with 10 goals, has been key to the team's success this year.

He scored the only goal in a 1-1 draw with Ha Noi T&T in their last V-League match on Sunday, earning a vital point that saw Nghe An top the victory podium after a 10-year wait since their first V-League triumph in 2001.

The central team also lifted the National Cup in 2001, 2002 and 2010.

Nghe An were the first Vietnamese club to recruit foreign players when the country's football governing body, the Viet Nam Football Federation, allowed teams to sign foreigners.

Meanwhile, Navibank Sai Gon will be appearing in the final for the first time.

Having taken over the now-defunct Military Zone 4 team in 2009, they are now coached by Mai Duc Chung and feature national team stars including midfielder Phan Van Tai Em, goal poacher Nguyen Quang Hai, defender Nguyen Thanh Long Giang and experienced goalie Nguyen The Anh.

Their squad also has an international feel to it, with Cameroon's Francois Endene Elokan, Brazilian-born Jose De Emidio Almeida, the League's top scorer in the 2007-08 seasons, and Brazil's Marcio Giovanini.

The Sai Gon-based team scraped through to the final with a 5-3 win on penalties over Thanh Hoa, after the game finished 2-2 after normal time.

The match is likely to be the toughest test yet for the newly-appointed coach of the Sai Gon team since he took the post early this year.

The winners will play in the Asian Football Confederation Cup next year.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News